Control of printing means



Aug. 13, 1935.

O. J suNDsTRAND CONTROL OF PRINTING MEANS Filed Dec. 30, 1933 I N V EN TOR. Oscar J Sundstrand.

.A TTORN E YS.

Patented .Aug. 13, 1935 I UNITED. STATES 18 Claims.

The invention relates to new and improved means to diflerentially control the movement of the type carrying elements of printing and/or computing machines.

I More particularly it relates to simplified means to differentially control a plurality of character printing type bars. a

It is an object of the present invention to increase the printing capacity of character or non- 10 cumulative data of such machines without correspondingly increasing the number of character or non-cumulative data keys.

It is another object of the invention to multiply the capacity of the keyboard structure of ma- 15 chines of the above character.

Referring to the drawing,

one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailed view of certain parts of the mechanisms.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of the structure shown in the Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of certain of the structure shown in Figure 1.

The present invention is herein embodied in a non-cumulative keyboard section of a computing and printing machine similar to that fully disclosed in my application Serial No. 581,800 filed December 18, 1931, to which application reference may be had for an understanding of features not fully shown in the present drawing. It should be understood, however. that the invention is not limited to such machines, nor, particularly, to the non-cumulative sections of keyboard structures but may be adapted to various other forms and arrangements of computing machines and to the amount keyboards thereof.

In the drawing, two type bars I. and II are shown. These type bars are preferably of the same form and operatively supported in the same general way as is disclosed in my beforementioned application. Each type bar is provided adjacent its upper end with a plurality of superimposed types (not shown) arranged to make impressions upon a conventional paper carrying platen.

Forwardly extending arms l2 and I! are pivoted adjacent the lower portions of the respective type bars, the arms in turn slidably supporting independent stop pins l5 and It. The pins l5 and it are guided for vertical movement in a stationary guide bar l1 extending transversely of the machine.

Figure 1 is a fragmental elevational view of PATENT OFFICE CONTROL OF PRINTING MEANS Oscar J. Sundstrand, Bridgeport, Com, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 30, 1933, Serial No. 104,695

guided for vertical movement in aligned slots 5 formed in the bottom wall ll and top plate 2|.

- The stem 23 of each of the keys 22 is operatively connected to a slide 24 through the medium of similar bellcranks 25, 'pivotally supported in the side walls of the keyboard section. The rear ends of each of the several slides 24 project through, and are supported by, the end wall 20, the remote end of each slide constituting in effect, a stop, the tines 28 and 21 of which are aligned with the pins ll and It. A locking slide 28, slidabiy supported in underlying relationship with respect to the several key stems 23 is provided with similarly formed and equally spaced forwardly extending lugs 29, one such lug being associated with each key stem. It will be apparent from Figure 1 that depression of any one of the keys 22 will function to move the slide 28 forwardly and that the lug acted upon will operate to lock the actuated key in its lower or depressed position. The rear end of slide 2! projects through the end wall 20 to 86 define a stop 30 normally effective to restrain the pin It, and hence the type bar I I" against upward movement.

Hence it will be apparent that depression of any one of the keys 22 will function to retract the stop 80 30 and thus permit the pin it, and its associated type bar i l, to rise to a position predetermined by the height of the particular one'of the slides 24-, which was operated.

As shown in Figure 2, each of the keys 22 is 86 provided on its top surface with a plurality of characters, in the present instance, the letters x and Y being shown upon the lower-most one of the keys 22. It will be understood that each of the keys similarly inscribed with a plurality of different symbols and that such symbols will preferably be arranged in a horizontal line as shown to more clearly establish a relationship between the several sets of symbols or characters employed. Depression of any one of the several keys 22 is effective to cause the type bar I l to rise to a point identified with the printing of the left hand one of the characters shown.

50 Means is provided to effect the printing of the right hand one of any one of the characters appearing upon the keys 22.

To this end a key 3 l structurally similar to the keys 22, and herein designated the auxiliary key, 5

22 intermediate those shown will be 40 v the end wall 20, to

is operatively supported in the keyboard section. As shown in Figure l, the stem 32 of key 3| is effective to operate a slide 33 through a medium of a bell crank 34 similar in the present instance, to the bell cranks 25. The rear end of slide 33 projects through the end wall 20, as shown in Figure 2, and comprises an irregularly shaped portion 35 effective to block the path of either one, but not both, of the pins I5 and I6.

When the key 3| is in its normal or elevated position, the part 35 overlies and thus blocks the pin 5, as shown in Figure 2, whereas when the key 3| is depressed a tine 36 on the part 35 moves rearwardly into blocking relation with respect to the pin l6, and a notch 31, adapted to permit free movement of the pin l5 therethrough, is aligned in the path of movement of the latter part. Thus it will be obvious that when any one of the keys 22 is depressed in combination with the key 3|, the type bar M will be blocked against movement and the type bar III will be permitted to rise until its pin I5 is stopped by the tine 26, of the particular slide 2!, which has been moved rearwardly by its key 22.

It will be apparent that in thus rising to the height predetermined by the position of the tine 26 above the normal rest position of the pin l5, that a type corresponding to the right hand figure of the key 22, which was depressed, will be positioned for printing. With a view to insuring certain difierentiation between the respective characters onthe several keys 22, that portion of the surface of the key which bears the inscription of the character printed as an incident to depression of the auxiliary character key is preferably distinctively colored to correspond with the coloring of the key 3|.

To prevent the possibility of the type bar In rising to its upper-most position when the key 3| alone is depressed, the following means is employed: An arm 38 secured adjacent one of its ends to a lug 29 of the slide 28, projects through define a stop 39 effective to prevent any movement of the type bar exceptin those instances in which one of the keys 22 is additionally operated.

In operation of the invention, depression of any one of the keys 22, without an accompanying depression of key 3|, will result in printing of the left hand or normal character associated with that key. As has been described, such an operation results in retraction of the stop 30 and positioning of the tine 21 on one of the slides 24 in the path of movement of the pin l6. coincidentally with retraction of the stop 30, the arm 38 is retracted to displace the stop 39, but the type bar ID will only be permitted to rise to the plane of the part 35 of slide 33 in which position the type bar I0 is not eflective to print.

Depression of any one of the keys 22 in con- Junction with the key 3| similarly functions to retract the stop 30, but the tine 36 of the part 35 is moved rearwardly to block the pin I6 and thus prevent efiective movement of theitype bar The before mentioned movement of part 35 is effective to position its notch 37 in alignment with the path of movement of pin 5 to thus permit the bar In to rise until its pin I5 is blocked by the tine 26 of the particular key 22 which was operated.

It will be seen that I have provided new and improved means effective to increase the capacity of the control of printing means by a given number of keys.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pair of type bars, a group of keys each bearing a character associated with each of said type bars, said keys being individually operable to differentially position stops to control the extent of movement of either of said bars, a part normally efiective to prevent movement of one of said bars, a part normally eilective to prevent movement of the second of said bars, means operable by any one of said group keys to disable said first mentioned part to permit said one type bar to move, and a key eilective to disable the second of said parts to permit said second bar to move and to block said one bar against movement.

' 2. A pair of type bars, a group of keys each bearing a character associated with each of said effective to prevent movement of the first one of a key arranged to actuate said second stop.

4. A pair of type bars, a dividually operable to predetermine the extent the group keys operated.

6. A group of normally disabled type bars, a group of keys individually operable to enable one of said bars and difierentially control the extent 7. A pair of type bars; individual stops associated ing position of one of said characters; a second key operable to disable the stop associated with the second of said bars and to position a part efiective to prevent movement of the first of said bars, said keys being jointly operable to prevent movement of said first mentioned bar and to 75 permit movement of said second bar to a position to print a character corresponding with the second of the characters on said first mentioned key.

8. A plurality of type bars, a group of keys individually operable to diflerentially control movement of one of said type bars and another key operable in conjunction with any one of said group of keys to prevent movement of said one type bar and differentially control the movement of another of said type bars.

9. A group of normally disabled type bars, a group of keys individually operable to enable one of said bars and to diflerentially control the extent of movement thereof, and a single key to disable said first mentioned bar and enable movement of a second bar.

10. A pair of normally disabled type bars, a key operable to predetermine the extent to which either one of said pair of type bars shall move, and a second key operable to release the second one of said bars for movement and to disable the other of said bars.

11. A pair of type bars, a group of keys individually operable to predetermine the extent of movement of either of said bars, and a single key operable in conjunction with one of said group 01' keys to predetermine which of said pair of bars shall be released for movement.

12. A pair of normally disabled type bars, a key operable to release one 01' said bars for movement and to predetermine the extent of movement of either of saidbars, and a second key operable to prevent movement of said first mentioned bar and to enable movement of the second bar.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of difi'erentially movable type bars, and a single bank of keys common to said group of type bars and operable singly, and in combination one with another, to predetermine the particular one of the bars which shall move and the extent of such movement.

14. In a. machine of the class described, the combination of two differentially movable type bars, a single set of keys associated with said bars to predetermine the extent of movement thereof, and means for selecting a single bar for movement.

15. A group of differentially movable type bars, a single group of keys operable to predetermine the extent of movement of either of said bars and means to predetermine which of said bars shall 16. A pair of type bars, a group of keys operable to predetermine the extent of movement of either of said bars, and a key to disable one bar and enable another.

17. A pair of type bars, a key operable to predetermine the extent of movement of either of said bars, and a second key to determine which of said bars shall move.

18. A pair of type bars differentially movable corresponding distances to present difierent characters, a group of keys effective to predetermine the extent of such movement, and another key to determine which of said bars shall move.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND. 

